The Samurai and the Ladybug
by FlimFlam3
Summary: Long ago in a distant land, Aku, master of darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil. But a samurai, wielding a magic sword, stepped forth to oppose him. Before the final blow was struck, Aku tore open a portal in time, and flung him into the future where evil is law. Now the samurai seeks to return to the past with the help of a mystical insect.
1. Chapter 1

**1 - The author does not own nor does claim in any way any right over Miraculous: The Adventures of Ladybug and Chat Noir, Samurai Jack, its characters or likenesses. The folowing tale is meant for entertainment purposes only**

 **2 - Thanks a lot for the great reaction on my first tale. Criticisms, suggestions, and "please-defenestrate-your-computer" welcomed.**

PART ONE

The roads were bare as they could be. Only a figure dressed in white, with an oversized hat breaks the monotony of the sparse yellow-ish, short vegetation. Here and there, the figure finds an edible root, stops for a while and returns to his journey. He walks until the moon is high in the sky, and resumes his travel before the faintest sign of the sun light appears in the horizon.

After days of this routine, he found signals of civilization. Primitive huts. Humans trying to grow vegetables on that poor soil. Women who appear to travel for miles to bring heavy water buckets home.

And, what bothered the traveler more, every single villager smiled at him. Not a word. Not even the usual caution look, reaction so common to strangers in that world. Just smiles. A chuckle, a quiet laugh here and there. As he climbs a small hill, the constructions start to look more elaborated, until he finds the unmistakable smell and noises of an inn.

Often, walking into such place cause people to become silent in the spot. Here, the laugher did not stop. If anything, noticed the stranger, it became louder. More persistent. He approached the counter. On the walls, between the bottles, not a single image of women in scantly clothes. Instead, images of clowns, kittens and flowers. No rude words or body parts engraved on the counter. Instead, He saw a limerick scribbled with a knife. A **clean** limerick. Sure, the samurai was a prisoner millennia ahead of his time but, even in the chaotic future ruled by his enemy, he learned an inn was an inn. Before he could reason more about the place, a bartender with a smile larger than necessary in any situation came to him.

"Hey, welcome to Pehrz. My name is Luc. Let's have something for you to relax, traveler."

The stranger took of his hat, revealing his dark hair tied on a topknot.

"They call me Jack."

"Very well, Jack. I see you carry swords. Well, in your small city you will find no reason to unsheathe then. No siree."

"I hope this is the case."

"Oh, it is, it is. In fact, we would like your solemn promise not to draw then."

Jack raised an eyebrow. Luc smile seemed to grow even larger. He could sense some of the presents starting to move towards the exit.

"Is there any problem around?"

"Problem? What problem? No problem whatsoever. In fact, there is no reason our boring, normal city to stop your journey. I am sure you will sleep like a baby in one of our rooms upstairs and will be happy on your way first thing in the morning. Hehehee."

"I am looking for information about Aku."

With that, the inn finally got silent, and Jack felt the eyes of everybody on him.


	2. Chapter 2 - What Crossed Jack's Patch?

CHAPTER 2 - WHAT CROSSED JACK'S PATCH?

The bartender tried to break the silence.

"Nonsense, Jack, all this talk about Aku-man and Aku-moths are but old wives' tales. Relax. Smile a bit."

"If you got any problem" answered Jack "I can help."

"Heheeeee, I told you, no problem. Have you heard the one about the horse who entered here…"

"Listen…"

"I asked him 'Why the long face?'. Pretty much like you. Cheer up." And in a whisper, the bartender added "In the name of whatever you regard sacred, cheer up."

"I…"

"Knock-knock" said a man on a table, looking straight to the samurai. Jack sighed. And answered coldly:

"Who's there?"

"Leaf"

"Leaf who?"

"Leaf-ing now may be a good idea, sworded one. Go take a walk, cool your head."

Jack gave a stern loon to everyone on that inn. The silence was quickly broke by another

"Knock-knock", a password to everyone turn away from the samurai, rushing to laugh and tell more jokes.

Once in the dusty street, Sanurai Jack noticed he was alone. He was used to that situation. More than once he saw himself at that exactly spot, the only resistance of the people against an untold evil. What was new was all the nervous giggling and songs from inside the houses.

Also new was the water balloon that hit him in the head, He was about to follow the dark-clothed one who pranked him, when he heard someone else screaming with horror.

"Aku-moth!"

Jack could not believe. It was a butterfly. Not a gargantuan monster, but a small, everyday butterfly that was scaring people. As it got close, Jack noticed an eerie glow covering its wings, leaving behind it the trail of light he so often saw associated with the deeds of Aku. Throwing caution aside, Jack drew his sword and, like lightning, cut the insect in the middle. A collective gasp was heard from the houses around. The ghostly glow floated to a nearby tiny grass tuff

"He can defeat the moths."

"It's not possible. Not one…"

"Could he be…"

The villagers start to gather around Jack, who failed to understand the importance of his deed. But a shout made everybody scatter again:

"More moths! Smile and run!"

With the mix of panic and forced smiles, rushed songs and jokes returned, every bystander returned to their hideouts, leaving Jack alone facing four or five dark butterflies. The samurai took a fight stand again.

He raised his blade to hit the closest moth, but others rushed to him, making him dodge and assume a defensive position. Quickly Jack swung his sword in a large arc, to avoid the moths go get closer. But the insects assumed a pattern of variable heights, making difficult for the samurai to find a target. Worried, Jack noticed the butterflies trying to circle him.

He was about to try a suicidal attack to protect the villagers, when two figures dressed in black clothing, similar to ninjas, flanked him. A men and a woman, their faces bare but for a tiara with cat ears. The samurai wondered if the men is old enough to proper shave, before turning his attention to the attacking insects

"We got your back" said the male, and both began spinning and fanning their weapons, creating wind gusts to block the butterfly advances. Jack used the element of surprise to strike one at the center, making again burst of flames fly everywhere

"Protect our heads" said the woman "I will take care of the floor"

"Roger that" answered the newcomer.

They raised and lowered their weapons, further disorientating the butterflies and giving Jack an opening for another attack, hitting two butterflies in a row.

"This will only bring more akumas!" said the woman

The male looked at Jack, and shouted, in a hurry

"Childhood memories!"

"What?" The samurai could not understand, the sole surviving butterfly flying much more erratically, now, having learned with the mistake of the others.

"Happy childhood memories, samurai. Do you have then? Think about them now!"

Jack though about his family, the simply life on a distant past. The butterfly seemed to move slowly.

"Your victories", said the girl. "Think about all your victories, the people you helped"

As Jack did so, the weapons of the newcomers became to move slower and slower, their arms shaking with the effort.

"Look" said the male, pointing to the butterfly, who started to return to where it came from

"Don't stop thinking about your good moments, but look."

"I don't understand"

"No distressed thoughts or actions" said the girl, "no danger. But we'll talk about it later."

"Go rest in the inn" said the cat-dressed kid "Expect us later tonight at your room. We'll explain everything then. Remember, happy thoughts."

With that, they disappeared in one of the buildings. Without a better option, Jack returned to the inn. The patrons now were having a lot more trouble to smile, and sing. After all, they were looking to a man capable of killing the cursed butterflies. Jack got to the counter.

"I will have that room now."

"Sure, sure, Jack. Follow me."

"Just a question."

"Yes?"

Jack mouth curved on a smile and he added:

"Is its refrigerator running?"

The whole inn burst out in a loud laugh.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Book

**Thanks for all the interest on this and my other tales. I appreciate a lot. This is chapter 3. Chapter 5 will be the final one.**

 **DISCLAIMER: The author does not owns Samurai Jack, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir, it's characters and likenesses. Story made for entertainment purposes only.**

* * *

Chapter 3 - THE BOOK

After a few hours sleeping, Jack heard the two words he was learning to dislike:

"Knock-knock"

Groaning, he asked who was there, reaching for his sword just in case.

"Lettuce."

Oh, no, not that. He tried hard to keep the black cats advice on his head, to find his inner peace.

"Lettuce in at once, Samurai."

Opening the door, he saw the two cat-wearing youngsters, one of them carrying a backpack. They made way to an elder, bald man wearing dark, long clothing similar to Jack's. All black, except for a red sash with black dots. The older one carried a large book with great reverence, while trying to keep the cat ears on the top of his head.

"Hello, Samurai. I am the Head Priest of the Keepers of the Miracle, and I believe you already met Nora and Aron."

"Yes, please come in."

The four sat on the floor, the old priest putting the book with greatest care in front of him, and bowing to it.

"We will answer all your questions" he said, "But first would you indulge us a quick ceremony to further protect us against the butterflies of evil?"

"Of course, honorable priest."

He nodded and the younger ninjas produced a cup, some herbs and powders and a container of hot liquid from the backpack.

The old one mixed the ingredients, raised the steaming cup and, dipping a small brush on it, draw a symbol on the forehead of each one of his helpers and Jack. After marking the Samurai, he paused a bit.

"I will have to ask you to bare your chest and one arm, Samurai."

Samurai Jack did so, only to notice, too late, that Aron moved behind him and hold him on an armlock.

"Like I said" went on the older priest "we must be safe from the butterflies." Jack noticed Nora taking a large feather from her clothing and approaching his exposed armpit "So, if we notice you are losing your concentration on happy thoughts, Nora and Aron will help you. By the way, the liquid is plain tea." He finished, taking a sip.

"I will stay focused."

"Good." The priest nodded, and Aron eased the pressure on Jack's arm, but keep it locked upward. The elder touched the cover of the book. "This is a history as old as the mountains, the sea and the sky above. From what I heard, you are familiar with the ancient master of evil that is Aku?"

"I fought him in the past, and will finish the fight somewhere, sometime."

"Thoughts." reminded the old priest. He touched the cover of the book "As time went on, Aku transcended his body, and evil particles spread all over the world. Certain people ended infected with evil, others learned to manipulate evil. But the world tends to balance and, instead of weapons of the past, animal spirits of good and harmony rose. A real miracle. One of the battles between good and evil happened on this very site. Hawkmoth learned to infuse evilness on butterflies, and was defeated by the black cat and the ladybug. But, like Aku, he does not need a body, and keep affecting the butterflies. He lives there" the priest pointed to the window "in the Iron Table."

Even from his position, Jack could see what once was clearly a tall tower, now reduced to a form that reminded him of a table.

"Having you and your wonderful sword here is a blessing, Samurai" said Nora "you can help us to make this people really free and happy."

"A blessing, yes." Said the old priest. But we need a miracle."

With that, Aron released Jack's arm, as two… things emerged from behind the elder head. Beings the size of a hand, with enormous heads for their tiny bodies. One of then was red with black dots and the other black, with cat ears.

"Hello, Samurai. My name is Tikki" said the red one.

"And I'm Plagg." Said the other.

"These are the ones who help defeat Hawkmoth before, and now will help you, Samurai"

"How can they do it, old Priest?"

"Like I said, Samurai, we are the Keepers of the Miracle."

"And very well dressed, too, if you ask me." Said Plagg

"What does it means?"

The priest finally opened the book, revealing hollow pages and, inside, a silver ring and a pair of dark earrings. Tikki smiled.

"It means it's time to accessorize, Samurai."


	4. Chapter 4 - The Night of the Cat

**Disclaimer**

 **Part 4 of 5. As always, I don't own Miraculous: the Cartoon That Needs a Shorter Title, Samurai Jack or its characters and likeness, tale done for entertaining purposes only.**

 **Thanks for the following/faves, hope to hear more from you.**

* * *

4 – NIGHT OF THE CAT

The air was cool and the moon batched everything with it's pale light, revealing what once was a beautiful city, the remaining of short buildings and vast parks appearing here and there between the wild cockle and weed and, growing in numbers every few steps, the eerie glowing butterflies. Just a man moved between then, for his two companions stopped more than a hundred meters ago, for they knew they could not keep their emotions under control.

Samurai Jack knew he would be safe while his thoughts remain calm and focused. It was not the first time he would face an enemy that did not rely on sight and movement to attack. Since he arrived at the Aku Future, he faced heat-seeking robots, sound-searching monsters and so on. Never, like now, a foe triggered by emotions, but he can adapt.

He could see the Iron Table, the former proud tower now. It was bigger than he imagined from his inn room.

Another few steps, and now the moon could not compete with the glow of the moths. Motionless in the floor, a carpet of evil just waiting to awake. Every step of Jack was more cautious, now. His mind darting between his stealth training and his happy memories. Decades of training that transformed him in a very skilled and adroit warrior.

Still, a human warrior. And, like every human in such situation, Jack, for a fraction of seconds, felt fear.

Enough to make the nearest butterflies to move its wings, what caused him to fear even more, leading to more and more butterflies to wake.

"Cat's out the bag, now." With his sword ready on one hand, he raised the other one, where a silver ring shone "Plagg, transform me."

In a fraction of second, the white samurai robe was replaced by a dark, ninja-like suit. Instead of a clan crest, on his chest two large green cat eyes shone, and cat ear-like spikes grew on his cloth shoulders. As he felt a mask cover his nose and mouth, he tested something much more important than his looks. As the butterflies draw near, he wasn't there anymore.

A rush of adrenaline invaded Jack's body. It was like the old priest said. A small contraction and expansion of his muscles made him jump higher and faster than he ever did. When he felt his body started to fall, he looked at his blessed sword, now fused with a staff of an unknown material. Feeling a bit silly, he ordered the staff to grow, aiming a particular spot in the ground. And, for his surprise, it followed his command, helping the Samurai to land on a spot free of butterflies. They soon started to float on his direction. Jack smiled and ordered the staff to retreat to the size of a sword handle. And he started to run towards the tiny flying foes. Run? The samurai felt he was flying low, and still had reflexes to hit dozens, hundreds of butterflies on his way.

He stopped, motionless, to see, on the reflex of his shining swords, several insects still falling, slowly, on the ground, wings and other cut body parts being taken away by the gentle wind. Then moving his wrist but a fraction of millimeter, he asked the staff to grow, the point of his sword impaling two butterflies that tried to ambush him at his side. Jack's reflexes and perception were never this good. He thought that it was not even far, as he, somehow, was able to see the butterflies and the surroundings as if the night gave place to the brightest of the days.

"It ends now." Jack said, spinning his now lance and hitting every butterfly nearby.

The evil wings tried a new approach, forming a huge and compact cloud. This way, at least one would hit the samurai and one is all they need to infect or kill an attacker.

Jack quickly jumped until his escape route was cut short by a large tree. As the menacing swarm got closer, Jack tried to focus his mind.

"Not yet… not yet…"

The rabble was now almost everything he could see and he shouted:

"Cataclysm!" his ring hand started to glow as fast as he used it to hit the tree trunk. Jumping out of the way, he watched as it felt over the butterflies, its branches and leaves forcing the rabble to break the cloud formation, the opening Jack needed for another mortal attack.

The remaining moths started to retrieve to the Iron Table. Jack used his lance as a pole to catapult him to the structure, a bit away from the insects, trying to ambush then and its leader.

"Plagg, transform back."

"Owww-eeee! " said the Kwami "It's being decades – centuries – since I had such a competent partner. Now, if you know where to get good cheese, this can be the start of a great friendshmmmm"

Samurai Jack put a finger in front of the black Kwami mouth, asking for silence, while he moved towards a particularly lit corner of the structure.

Getting close, he saw the remaining evil butterflies around a vaguely human shaped figure. Two more stealth steps, Samurai Jack froze. It was not a person. It was a being made entirely of butterflies. And it was looking straight to him, a fragmented voice coming from nowhere and everywhere.

"I am Aku…ma… Hawk…Aku… The power… is Aku…ma! You… finally. Samurai… face… the evil… Aku… Aku-ma!


	5. Chapter 5 - Red and Black

**Disclaimer**

 **Part 5 of 5. As always, I don't own Miraculous: the Adventures of Ladybug and Chat Noir, Samurai Jack or its characters and likeness; tale done for entertaining purposes only.**

 **Your final opinions on the tale would be greatly appreciated**

 **Thanks to all that gave their time to read this crossover.**

* * *

 **Chapter final: Red and Black**

Jack was trying to overcome his fear and react. What is not easy when you face an enemy you can't describe. His form changes by the second as butterflies join and leave the monstrous collective. Thousands of wings beating sometimes randomly, sometimes in rhythm to create the eeriest of voices. The insects with their dark glow flew here and there, creating pantomimes of human eyes and mouths. Sometimes, to Jack's horror, butterflies went up and arrange themselves in shapes that remind him of Aku flame eyebrows and horns, only to dive again in the distorted humanoid head. Thousands of butterflies leaved the compact torso, forming and arm, hand and claws, that swung in the samurai's direction. Jack's reflexes made him jump back.

"Aku!" came the haunting facsimile of a voice "Samu…rai. This… ends… with Aku-ma!"

"You are right, monstrosity. This ends now." He raises from his crouching position, the pale moonlight shining in his earrings, starting to transition from black to red "Tikki, transform me"

A red samurai harness armor start to form on top of his long gi. The shoulder pads show intricate insect wings sculpts, and his head is covered with a beetle-looking samurai helmet. In his belt hanged a manriki, with a long chain with a red metal sphere with black dots in its end. Finishing the transformation, black polka dots appeared on the armor pectoral.

"Let it be insect against insect, then. A level field you always ran from, Aku."

"I… not… just… Aku…I am… thousands" with this words, the chest of the composite creature exploded, and countless of tiny wings flew full speed at the samurai direction. Jack managed to draw the chain and whirl it as a shield, blocking the tiny foes. Still swirling the manriki in one hand and his sword in another, he approached the metallic structure of what once was the tower, used it as a fulcrum and leaped towards his foe, attacking with his sword with all his might.

Still, he hit nothing. As the blade draw near, the butterflies scattered, just to form its unnatural humanoid form behind Jack. He dodged and rolled away from the creature attack.

"Samu…rai… can not… defeat all…"

"Let's see about that." And he swirled the manriki in the direction of the figure, forcing it to dismantle and, for some moments, from regrouping. After some long seconds, the butterflies realized they should stay out of the Samurai reach.

"You postpone… evil…. Sam-rai…git…. tired. Not… aku-mas. Not…the evil… that is…aku-mas."

Jack launched the ball and chain hardly against the wall the being was leaning against, making the moths again flutter in all directions, before starting to reconstruct its figure.

"You're the one who postponed this battle for millennia, Aku. And I will make sure you will not escape again." The butterflies, focusing their attention on the swirling weapon, forgot about the magic sword, now flying in its direction. It hit some butterflies making the creature scream in agony. The small creatures refused to stay near the blade, creating a hole that deformed even more the anthropomorphic figure.

The entity broke apart and butterflies floated everywhere as Jack reached for his sword.

"Even if I have to kill one moth at a time, there is no escape for you"

Instead of reforming their host, the insects flew in a random pattern, trying to hit Jack. For endless minutes, nobody could make sense of the confusion of wings, little bodies dying in flames, and the tireless movements of a sword, chain and ball. Finally, the insects retreat, leaving a carpet of dead siblings, some still generating flames, here and there a wing stubbornly moving. In the middle, gi tattered and skin exhibiting burn marks, the Samurai stood, breathing heavily.

However, for each insect motionless in the floor, at least five still flutter around, regrouping in the ghostly figure.

"Th…is… end" it spoke.

Jack smirked "You are right." And lanced the heavy polka-dotted ball in the air, shouting "Lucky Charm". With that, a large and thin rectangle felt from the sky, in the now usual red with black dots pattern.

"No matter your form, Aku, you can't face…" and Jack turned the rectangle, revealing a mirror.

The collective creature shrieked in horror, for a moment assuming the contour of the Aku Jack knew. Without losing a heartbeat, the Samurai rushed to the foe, this time his magic blade was able to hit several moths.

While Jack fought the small foes, the ninja cats Aron and Nora climbed the massive metal structure and reunited with their champion.

"The mirror!" shout Jack. "Make sure it always see itself in the mirror"

For hours, Jack fought the insects, suffering small loses and burnings here and there, and watched it assume every possible form, from Gorilla to dragon to octopus, every transition making the young fighters to fear, but they managed to keep repositioning the mirror.

With each dozens of attacks, the collective assumed the form of smaller and smaller creatures. A cheetah. A snake. And finally a bat, in the center of it Jack saw a single butterfly flashing in the red and dots pattern.

"No more evil, Aku." Said the Samurai, launching his manriki and watching the sphere at its end to open and catch the offending butterfly. Catching the device at his hand, he opened it and watching a pure butterfly to fly away. It was the last thing he saw before passing out.

* * *

First thing that returned to Jack was the ability to hear. Human voices around him, some worried, some happy. Actually happy, without sub tones. After that, the sense of touch returned, he realized his body was at the horizontal position, over something soft. Then, the smell. Alcohol. Liniments. Finally, even with his eyes closed, he felt the strong lights in the space. He opened his eyes, to be greeted by the now familiar young black cat-themed ninjas.

"Priest." Said Nora "He's awaken"

"Good, good." The elder approached "How do you feel, Samurai?"

Jack stretched on the bed, feeling some resistance on his muscles. "How long…?"

"You slept? More than 30 hours, warrior. And, during this time, the people experienced all kind of emotions, without a single aku-moth in sight. You saved us."

He smiled, put on his gi and oversized hat, and started to walk away.

"Please, stay with us, Samurai."

"I can't. I may have defeated a version of Aku here; now I must be sure this 'here' never happens. The final battle is still somewhere… somewhen."

And Samurai Jack started to walk down the patch to the next town.

 **THE END**


End file.
